Archive of Author | Cornelia Hesse-Honegger

About Cornelia Hesse-Honegger

Inspired by the effects witnessed by the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and a mutated Drosophila experiment in 1967, Cornelia Hesse-Honegger has devoted her life to depicting the effects of radiation and fallout by radioactivity throughout the world. Born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1944, she honed her skills with watercolor painting and was fascinated by it growing up. As an accomplished artist and biologist, Cornelia utilizes her scientific background to supplement her skillful artistic ability to create the pieces that you see on this site for your viewing pleasure and displayed in art galleries around the world. Beside her exploits of her own art, Cornelia held a position with the National History Museum at the University of Zurich as a scientific illustrator where her skills became of great use under the tutelage of a zoologist and geneticist Professor Hans Burla. She would hold this position for nearly 25 years. According to Cornelia, she has performed field studies in 25 different locations which she has cataloged 16,367 insects exposed to high radiation levels in Switzerland, United States of America, England, and France.

Inspired by the effects witnessed by the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and a mutated Drosophila experiment in 1967, Cornelia Hesse-Honegger has devoted her life to depicting the effects of radiation and fallout by radioactivity throughout the world. Born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1944, she honed her skills with watercolor painting and was fascinated by it growing up. As an accomplished artist and biologist, Cornelia utilizes her scientific background to supplement her skillful artistic ability to create the pieces that you see on this site for your viewing pleasure and displayed in art galleries around the world.

Beside her exploits of her own art, Cornelia held a position with the National History Museum at the University of Zurich as a scientific illustrator where her skills became of great use under the tutelage of a zoologist and geneticist Professor Hans Burla. She would hold this position for nearly 25 years. According to Cornelia, she has performed field studies in 25 different locations which she has cataloged 16,367 insects exposed to high radiation levels in Switzerland, United States of America, England, and France.

Articles with Cornelia Hesse-Honegger

Lying on a Daily Basis

Cornelia Hesse-Honegger works at the interface between art and science. Describing herself as a ‘science artist,’ she worked for 25 years, as a scientific illustrator for the Natural History Museum at the University of Zurich. From 1969 onwards, she collected and painted True bugs, Heteroptera.

Inspired by the effects witnessed by the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and a mutated Drosophila experiment in 1967, she has devoted her life to depicting the effects of radiation and fallout by radioactivity throughout the world.

Her work stands as both a testament to the harmful effects of high radiation levels and the harmful effects mankind has on nature and our environment.